Sitting on the curb, with her laundry in one hand, Heather Parcells was squeezing in as much time in the day as she could.
Parcells was on the phone with the Daily Press, talking about her time traveling across the country in shows like “Chicago” and her performances on Broadway in productions including “A Chorus Line.”
On Wednesday, the Newport News native will return home for a performance at the Ferguson Center. The show already is sold out.
“Everything that happened was because of growing up in Newport News for the first 18 years of my life,” Parcells said. “It’s Newport News. It’s Williamsburg. It’s Busch Gardens. It’s Virginia Beach. It was having my braces on.”
Late love
Growing up near Hilton Village, Parcells didn’t picture herself on stages across the country, let alone in Newport News.
She spent most of her energy riding horses in Smithfield. It was through one of her equestrian friends that she landed her first stage performance at 12 years old: a lip sync to “Please Mr. Postman.”
More serious roles would come a few years later at Hampton Roads Academy. Parcell’s first show was “Anything Goes.”
“I loved it. It was so much fun,” she said. “I kept thinking I would go into business school or become a lawyer, but when it became time for me to make a decision about what to do I was like, ‘I like to sing.’ “
Parcells and her parents began researching what it took to get into university’s performing arts schools. She enrolled in dance classes with kids almost eight years younger than herself.
At school she nailed the lead female role in “Little Shop of Horrors” and the Witch in “Into the Woods.”
“Heather was always enthusiastic about music. She had a great insight about what pieces what would work in front of an audience and what wouldn’t,” said Robin Steinberger, HRA’s choral director. “We knew great things were coming.”
Outside of school, Parcells worked at Busch Gardens — one year in a mascot suit as Gordon the Dragon and another as a cast member in the show “Rockin’ the Boat.”
When it came time to enroll in college, Parcells settled on Florida State University. After graduating she found herself back in Newport News, this time at the Amtrak station.
She was bound for New York City.
Broadway credentials
Parcells disembarked at Penn Station without a job or a place to live.
She found an apartment and three weeks later had a job. Parcells played Velma Kelly, a role that won Catherine Zeta Jones an Oscar, in the national tour of “Chicago” from 2000-01.
When she wasn’t touring, Parcells was taking classes and auditioning, something she admits still makes her nauseated to think about. The audition process is different now, she said. One of her strongest traits starting off was that Parcells could sing, act and dance. Now, most people on Broadway can do all three.
“I went to every audition I could possibly get my hands on,” Parcells said. “I get nausea walking through hallways walking through these beautiful girls wearing a solid color top and Lululemon skirt. It’s so scary now.”
Her Broadway debut came as an ensemble member in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in 2005. The Newport News native’s first billed role came in the revival of “A Chorus Line” in 2006, playing the role of Judy, one of many dancers attempting to land a role in a Broadway play.
Parcells described the show as physically demanding during her two-year stint.
“I was icing my feet, hands, hamstrings and taking ice baths before the show. Plus, lots of Advil. Realizing in the middle of a show that I can’t sing anymore. It was all negotiating,” she said.
In the last week of shows, Parcells’ body betrayed her. She tore her hamstring in the middle of a show and crawled off stage. She returned the next night to wrap up her performance, albeit with much lower kicks.
During the 10-month recovery process, Parcells focused on improving her singing voice. After she healed, Parcells landed parts in “Wonderland,” “Soul Doctor,” “Finding Neverland” and “Tuck Everlasting.” She’s also appeared in national tours of “Some Like it Hot” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
“I’ve been in six Broadway shows and three tours. I do corporate events all the time. People know who I am,” Parcells said. “The older I get, they still expect me to have the same capacity that I did when I was younger. I’m still competing against people who are younger than me. If Larry Bird played against LeBron James right now I know LeBron would kick (his) butt.”
Teaching
As Parcells’ industry continues to change, she has started teaching classes in New York and in the South.
She previously taught a masterclass at Christopher Newport University and is doing so again in Newport News this summer as part of the Torggler Summer Vocal Institute. Some of her students will join her on stage during her performance at the Ferguson Center on Wednesday.
“She just has an infectious energy for sure and a wonderful imagination I think that comes with having a life on the stage,” said Parcells’ longtime friend Allie Lee Wittkamp. “It’s wonderful to have her come home.”
Teaching also helps Parcells stay on top of the latest trends and news in her field.
“I’m in a human-based industry. It’s the human spirit it makes you feel. As long as I’m able to look somebody in the eye and have a personal conversation and express what I’m getting across, I’m always going to be able to be in this industry,” Parcells said. “That’s what I’m about.”
Contact Black at joblack@dailypress.com or by phone at 757-247-4607. Follow him @j_black13.
